Something Beautiful
by ForeverBughead
Summary: He was the dark and mysterious boy. She was the straight A and goody-two-shoes girl. On the night of their homecoming dance, both had hoped for something different. Instead, what they got was something beautiful.


A/N: One Shot fic. It won't follow the natural storyline of the show. I don't own any characters unless otherwise specified.

Jughead Jones was never fond of parties and social gatherings. He never liked it when he was forced by his mom to attend birthday parties and family reunions. He hated the fact how people who never even spoke to one another for a whole year could pretend that they were so close on one special day just for the sake of saying, you have a lot of friends invited.

He had a belief that if you were to spend your most special day or night, you may as well just spend it with people who actually mattered.

Despite having this belief in life, Jughead couldn't understand how people still found him to he cool. He wasn't kind to all unlike Archie nor was he really athletic like Reggie Mantle but for some odd reason, him being brooding and having sardonic humor makes people think he was this dark and mysterious guy who would "take you for one hell of a ride". At some point, Archie admitted to being appalled at his friend for having many girls at his command but actually not giving a care about it.

"Come on Jughead, get your ass out of the couch and take a shower. The dance is in an hour!" Jughead's best friend threw a pillow at him before turning toward the mirror and fixing his bowtie. Tonight was Riverdale High's homecoming dance and Archie made it is duty to get his brooding friend out of the house once and for all.

Jughead Jones have been through a lot for a boy in his age. His family is on the rocks. His father is a drunk Southside Serpent – one of the most dangerous gangs in Riverdale. His mother left them when she had enough and grabbed his sister Jellybean and went away to live with his grandparents in the next town. Jughead, not wanting to live in their trailer, packed up his bags and made a makeshift home at the Twilight Drive-In. That was before Archie found his state, grabbed his bags and gave him an actual home at the Andrews' abode.

"What's up with you and dances Archie? I mean it's just a pathetic excuse for teenagers to drink booze, hook up and make a fool of themselves. I don't get it." He said before getting out of his seat and walking toward the closet space Archie had lent him.

"Dude, it's not the homecoming dance I'm looking forward to. It's the after party at the Blossom's mansion. The dance is just a stopover before the actual fun happens. Come on. I'm gonna make sure you'll have an awesome time."

Jughead hesitated. He really wanted to just stay in and play video games. He didn't want to be associated with the typical students his age with raging hormones. But then again, a party is a free access to food so he guessed that makes it endurable.

"Fine. 20 minutes." He rolled his eyes and grabbed a towel before going straight for the bathroom.

Betty Cooper was the perfect daughter. She had. 4.0 GPA, she was a stellar student at Riverdale High and she engaged in extra curricular activities at school that promoted social welfare and responsibility. She was your typical perfect girl next door who couldn't hurt a fly even if she tried. She was the pride of her parents. At least, that's before what she was planning to do tonight.

"Betty, you sure about this? I mean, won't your mom get angry if she finds out you went to the school dance?" Her best friend Kevin Keller shot an anxious look at his friend. He was all for having fun but he knew the Coopers and from what he knows, they don't take kindly about breaking the rules.

"I'm sure Kev. I already told you. Now choose, pink, magenta or blood red?" She held out in her hands three lipstick shades that would define her night.

Pink represented sweet obedient Betty – the good Betty who always followed what her parents told her. She guessed that if her parents told her to stop breathing, she might have done it.

Magenta is the bolder Betty. One who is out for adventure with a few restraints. It's a balance of level-headedness and audaciousness. It was a perfect mix between good and bad.

Blood Red, on the other hand, was a dark and mysterious Betty. She's the kind of Betty who doesn't care about getting into trouble. The kind of Betty that would go to the ends of the earth to get what she wants. It was the kind of Betty that stands up to her parents when they become too controlling. It was the Betty that has the courage to tell the guy she liked how much she liked him and as bonus, maybe get to kiss him. It was the Betty that she always wanted to be.

"Definitely Blood Red. Tonight, bold and sexy Betty makes her debut and I, Kevin Keller, will make sure you have the best time of your life." He put his hand in his heart as if promising to protect her always.

Betty laughed at the silliness of her friend and decided to finish doing her make up. She looked different, to be honest. She looked mature.

"Now I can't wait to make those fine boys at Riverdale break their necks while trying to catch a glance of you!" Kevin clapped his hands.

"You're being ridiculous Kev. Come on. Let's go." Betty grabbed her purse and walked hand in hand with her best friend.

When they were at the lawn, about to ride Kevin's Dad's pick up truck, Betty couldn't help but throw a glance at her mysterious neighbor's house. The Andrews household seemed empty and the ginger-haired and black-haired boys were not in the usual spot at the top right corner window. Betty wondered if she would be seeing the two of them at the party. She wasn't really friends with the two but they seemed okay.

Betty worked with the dark haired boy at Blue & Gold but they have little to no interactions at all. The ginger haired boy on the other hand was a familiar face in School being a star football player and next in line captain of the Riverdale Bulldogs. As far as she knew, the dark haired boy was living with ginger for the past 3 weeks.

"Okay so here's the game plan Betty. We go there. Get a few drinks. Dance a couple of songs. Then we go to Cheryl's after party at Thornhill." Kevin glanced at her every now and then.

"Isn't the after party like, by invitation only?" Her fingers fidgeted.

"That's so 19th century Betty. Party nowadays need no invitation. As long as you know where to go, you can join the party."

Betty only nodded and stared at the road ahead. She knew it was going to be a long night for her and her best friend. She felt her heart thump against her chest in anxiety. Breaking the rules never felt so liberating and scary as shit. There was no turning back now.

"Dude, I swear, you take forever to get ready. You're such a girl." Jughead was all dressed up and ready while Archie was still fixing his hair. "You know your hair is gonna fall off with all that wax you put."

"Shut up Jughead." He punched his friend lightly in the shoulder. He clapped his hands before giving his hair one more sweep then he was ready. "Let's go."

"Jeez, finally." Jughead rolled his eyes and followed his friend to the car. "Want me to drive?"

"Nah, I'm not drunk yet. You can drive going back." He said.

Jughead nodded and went for the front seat. The school was just a few minutes away so they arrived in no time. A lot of students were already there, some were dancing, some were being wallflowers. Jughead scoffed at the idea of this event being the highlight of everyone's high school years. He just didn't understand it. People grinding next to each other. Boys spiking drinks. Girls gossiping with peers. It was so anti climatic for him.

"Loosen up man! Come on! Dance with us!" Archie pulled him to the middle of the room where he danced with Veronica Lodge, one of the prettiest girls in their year. With them were Cheryl Blossom and Ginger Lopez – the latter girl kept shooting glances at him for reasons he didn't quite understand.

"Jughead can't take a hint? Ginger has been eyeing you for the past couple of minutes! Go dance with her." Veronica whispered to his ear.

He shook his head at his brunette friend but he was already pushed towards the girl. "Hey Jughead." She said softly.

Ginger Lopez was pretty, Jughead agrees with that. He just didn't like her enough to actually make a move on her. Apparently, he was like this with majority of the female population in RiverdaleHigh. Borrowing Archie's line when he breaks it off with a girl, he just didn't feel what he should be feeling.

But Jughead decided to give the girl a chance. Maybe a conversation with her would change his opinion of her. Maybe a few drinks of the spiked drinks would numb his thoughts and make him see Ginger Lopez like how normal boys with raging hormones see.

"I'll go get us some drinks. Do you want some?" He said to her.

"I'll have what you're having." She smiled and turned to the group.

Jughead pushed his way toward the drinks table and grabbed two red cups and poured some punch. He dreaded going back to the dance floor with all the students bumping here and there so he decided to stay quite a bit.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar blonde girl getting punch from the drinks table. He felt obligated to tell her that the drink was spiked with whatever Reggie Mantle or his goons had put there.

"You know that drink is spiked right?" He said. He saw the surprise in her face when he talked to her and her mouth dropped open.

That's when he realized that her usual pink lipstick was replaced with a red shade that could almost rival Cheryl's. He wondered what made this girl go from goody two shoes to good girl gone bad. He usually saw her at the Blue and Gold office in the morning or during lunch breaks. She was hardworking, that he had to give her. Once she puts her mind into it, there's no stopping her from accomplishing anything.

He snapped out of his thought when he saw her lips moving. "Sorry what?"

"I asked if is it too strong or just right?" She said.

Jughead took a whiff of the cup she was holding, inconspicuously closing the gap between the two of them. "Not too much, if I'm not mistaken. You can trust me on this. After all, I have the best beer-sniffing nose in Riverdale."

His comment brought a small smile on her lips. She took a sip of the drink and made a face that Jughead found funny. "You're not used to drinking, are you?"

She shook her head no and smiled sheepishly. "Well the key to it is to pretend you're actually drinking it then throw the contents of your cup in a nearby plant or somewhere else appropriate." He said.

She was surprised at his proposition. "You want me to stunt a plant's growth with punch?"

Jughead couldn't stop himself from laughing. The goody two shoes haven't left this girl, he was sure of it. "Then I suggest you throw it somewhere else where it couldn't hurt anything."

She glanced at her surroundings until she stopped to looked at the half filled cups in his hands. She gave a sweet smile before dumping the contents of her cup to one of his. The normal Jughead would be affronted. He would find her rude and annoying. But for some odd reason, he couldn't stop laughing. It was like a care bear breaking the rules by deciding to stop giving hugs.

"Whoa, we got a criminal here people. Stand back." He inched away and caused her to laugh again. Jughead couldn't help but admire the sweet ring of her laugh. It was unlike the chilly high pitched laughs other girls at Riverdale had. It was quite unique to his ears. It was so nice to hear that he was coming up with ways to bring it out again.

"You should go. I think your date's waiting." She pointed at the dance floor where sure enough Ginger Lopez was observing from afar.

"She's not my date." He said almost too quickly. He wondered if it would matter to this girl if he had a date or not. "We're just in he same circle of friends, that's all."

He knew he should stop talking if he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of her. For someone who's quite eloquent with words, Jughead Jones can't seem to find the right ones when he most needed it. He'd blame it on the punch if he wasn't used to late night drinks with Archie. Therefore, he decided to point the finger on the friendly girl next door – despite the reason not making sense to him.

"See you around?" She said. Jughead understood that he was being pushed away. He felt disappointed as he was actually starting to enjoy the company.

"Yeah, save me a dance." He said before winking at her. He saw the surprised look on her face but it was replaced with a smile and a nod.

He ventured back to the middle of the dance floor and handed the half- filled cup to Ginger while keeping to himself the cup which was filled with Betty Cooper.

He danced with Ginger Lopez but his mind drifted to a certain blonde who had a beautiful laugh. He was staring at Ginger's brown eyes but he couldn't help but remember her ocean blue ones. It was unusual for Jughead to be distracted like this.

"Jughead?" He snapped out of his reverie and his mind focused back on the brunette in front of him.

"What?" He asked.

"Archie was saying we have one song left before we go to Cheryl's."

Upon hearing this, Jughead released the girl and searched for someone else in the dance floor. "Sorry but I need to find someone. Meet you at the entrance later."

Before she could protest, his feet were already on auto pilot as if he was being magnetized towards someone. The music started playing, it was one of those songs from a chick flick movie.

 _Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

He found her at the corner with her friend and this town's Sheriff's son, Kevin Keller. He couldn't help but think how he could interrupt the two from their dance. Not giving a care anymore, he just swooped in.

"Can I steal her for a moment?" He said. The surprised look that registered on Kevin's face which was replaced by a huge smile was already a go signal for him. He glanced at Betty who was now staring at him with her mouth open.

"Told you to save a dance for me right? We need to go after this song so I looked for you." She closed her mouth and nodded. He wasn't sure if it was make up or what but he thought he saw a small blush creep on her cheeks.

Betty Cooper was not one to go gaga over a guy but she couldn't help but feel nice with the attention that Jughead Jones was giving her. After seeing him with Ginger Lopez, she thought the promise for a dance he said earlier was already long gone and forgotten. After all, Ginger Lopez was one of the it girls. Betty was smart enough to know that she can't compete with the likes of her. Not that she wanted to compete anyway. It just felt nice for once to be picked.

She cast a glance at her best friend who was making thumbs up signs to her. She couldn't help but smile at the Kevin Keller's stamp of approval.

"Are you going to Thornhill after?" He asked. Her attention was brought back to the mysterious boy in front of her. His eyes was steel blue, like melting steel. It was overwhelming and beautiful at the same time.

"Yeah, Kevin said we would go as well after this song." She said.

"Is Kevin your decision maker?" Betty was surprised by the boldness of this boy. "I mean, what do you want? Do you want to go there?"

Betty had never considered what she wanted. In all honesty, no one bothered asking her anyway. She's not mad at Kevin because she knew he means well when he wants her to loosen up and have fun. But she just realized that there were times when Kevin didn't ask her if she wanted to do something. He most of the time just dragged her into it.

"I… I guess it's okay." She said, her fingers tightening its hold Jughead's shoulder, this didn't go unnoticed by the dark haired boy.

"You know you're free to choose right? Don't do things because people tell you to. Do it because you want it." It has always been his belief that he should do what he wants. It saves him the trouble of blaming people for his mistakes. At least if he decides it on his own, he has no one to blame but himself.

"This is just me but I think letting others decide for us gives us the power to blame them when something goes wrong." He said. He could see the pain in her eyes and he would've stopped but then the pain was replaced with determination.

"Well, you can still choose to blame yourself for letting them decide for you in the first place. You don't really have to blame others." She quipped. Her voice was controlled as if she was holding in the anger that was bubbling in her chest.

"Well, that's one way to look at it." He said. He kind of felt proud to get a rise out of the blonde girl. She was known to be so composed at school. She wasn't the type to lose her cool so easily. He was liking this side of her – the 'knows how to defend herself' Betty Cooper.

"I hope you _want_ to go." He said. Betty was surprised by what he said that she was at a loss for words. "I mean you're already going because of your friend but I hope you want it as well."

"Do _you_ want to go there? From what I know, you're not a fan of parties too." She countered.

"I guess I found a reason for it to be worthwhile." He smiled, making her stomach flutter.

The song ended and signaling the two to separate. Jughead almost changed his mind and ought to go to Pop's instead but then he felt obligated to look out for the blonde girl in front of him who would be attending Cheryl's after party – one that reeks of chaos and trouble.

"I'll see you there?" He asked.

"Sure. See you." She smiled before turning to find Kevin. She looked back twice at Jughead only to see him staring at her walking away. Her stomach was fluttering nonstop.

"Oh my God Betty." This was the first thing Kevin said when the two met up.

"I know. Oh my God indeed." She said, feeling her cheeks burn.

"Who would've known? Jughead Jones?" He nudged her and kept teasing her until they reached the parking lot. From afar, she could see Jughead talking to his circle of friends, prepared to leave the dance and go straight to Cheryl's as well.

"See you there." She murmured quietly to herself.

"I saw you dancing with Blondie, what was that about Jughead?" Veronica teased as soon as they settled in Archie's car.

"Blondie has a name and it's Betty Cooper." Jughead said.

"Really Jughead? You're into friendly girl next door Betty Cooper?" Archie asked. "I thought you had something going on with Ginger Lopez?"

Jughead was surprised to hear that he was being linked to Ginger Lopez after dancing a few songs with her. The rumor mill of Riverdale was absolutely unbelievable.

"Guys, it was just a few dances with Ginger. Why would people think we had a thing?" He said in frustration.

"Well, one, because Ginger's spreading it. And two, she was your first dance to the first homecoming you ever attended to. The crowd is going nuts thinking about how meant to be you are for each other and how she "Changed your perspective" in life." Veronica said, a hint of amusement could be heard in her voice.

"Jeez." If the rumors reached Betty Cooper, that would be troublesome.

Jughead was surprised that he was thinking about Betty Cooper. Sure, he could say that he enjoyed his short time with the blonde and he had to admit, she was a more decent conversationalist than most of the girls in Riverdale. He enjoyed talking to her because she could keep up with him. Most of the girls at their school would either not get what he's saying or be offended by it.

Dancing with Betty Cooper felt refreshing. She could hold her own and state what was on her mind. She wasn't a yes girl type of person. She knew when to disagree and when to counterattack. He wouldn't also discount the fact that she was very pleasing to the eyes. Jughead Jones, for the first time, actually looked forward to arriving at Cheryl's party for reasons other than what food was to be served. He couldn't wait to talk to her again.

"I heard Ginger and Jughead were dating." A girl nearby said to her friend.

Betty glanced at Kevin for confirmation. He had his forehead scrunched up in deep thought. Betty actually enjoyed her time with Jughead Jones and it would be too bad if he was already someone else's property. She was up to being bold and adventurous that night but definitely not to the point that she would steal someone's guy.

"Where did you hear that from?" Kevin piped in their conversation.

The two girls were surprised and smiled mischievously at Kevin. "Well, from Ginger Lopez herself. She was the first dance of Jughead after all."

Kevin faced Betty. "Don't worry about it. Ginger's probably spreading bull. I know the ins and outs of Riverdale's gossip vine so trust me when I say, Jughead Jones is available." He said reassuringly.

"It's not like he's interested in me Kev." She said, putting herself down. She just didn't want to hope and be disappointed.

"Stop that Betts. The only reason a guy would go out of his way to find a girl for a last dance is because he's into her. I saw it with my eyes. You were all hearty eyes at each other." He wiggled his eyebrows knowingly.

"Or… because he made a promise." She said.

Kevin rolled his eyes at his friend. He loved Betty but sometimes he wanted to smack her in the head. "Which he was not obligated to keep, but kept anyway. Face it Betts. By the end of tonight, I'm predicting that you and Jughead Jones would be THE THING."

It was Betty's turn to roll her eyes. She didn't want to get her hopes up so she'll just wait and see the events unfold tonight. The night was still young after all.

As soon as Archie and the gang reached Thornhill, Jughead separated from his friends in search for the Blonde girl he had enjoyed company with earlier. Veronica smiled and nudged at Archie upon seeing their determined friend.

"Something tells me Jughead Jones is about to have a love interest tonight." She said.

"I hope she doesn't believe the lies Ginger spread though. That might complicate things." Archie said worriedly.

"Don't worry. Our Jughead will pull through." She smiled knowingly to which Archie had to agree to. After all, Veronica was never wrong.

Jughead looked places for Betty Cooper but he couldn't find her. He felt like losing hope. Had she turned back on her word and went home instead? He couldn't blame the girl after all. This party was like an omen for something bad that's bound to happen.

He was about to give up and head home as well when he spotted Kevin Keller by the snacks table. He pushed his way toward the girl's friend, not caring about the glares that were thrown his way. Kevin saw Jughead's determined face and knew right then and there that his friend would be lucky tonight.

"Hey." Jughead greeted.

"Hey." Kevin raised one eyebrow, pretending he didn't know why the infamous Jones was talking to him.

"Where's your friend?" He said tensely. Kevin Keller decided to play a bit to ensure that Jughead indeed had a thing for his friend.

"Which friend are we talking about? Cause you know I have many. There's Tina from Spanish. Holly from Math. Oh and - "

"Betty Cooper. Where's Betty Cooper?" Jughead was becoming impatient.

Kevin smiled at the boy's frustration. "Betty? Hmmm. I think she went home already."

Jughead's face went from annoyed to dejected in a snap. He couldn't believe she bailed out on him. He sighed and prepared to leave when Kevin held his arm.

"Kidding. She's out in the back." He smiled.

"Dude, you –"

"Now before you go and threaten me, I'm gonna do the same for you. Betty is my best friend and I don't want her hurt. So if you're just bored or doing this half-heartedly, I suggest you stop now." Kevin looked serious.

"Am I the type of guy to do things half-heartedly? Honestly, I'm offended." Jughead said.

He walked a few steps before turning back to Kevin. "I like her. I won't hurt her."

Jughead was as surprised as Kevin when he admitted to liking Betty Cooper. He didn't lie about it just so Keller would shut up with his threats. He really did enjoy being with her earlier and he somehow craved more time with the Blonde girl. It was not that hard to like her after all.

Betty sat outside and stared at the moon. She felt peaceful. She had never felt so free in her life. There were a few people near her but nobody paid her mind. They were all busy making out or convincing the other to make out.

She was prepared to go back inside when she saw Jughead Jones, slightly out of breath. He heart thumped at his arrival.

"Hey, were you out for a run?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Jughead laughed. It wasn't the kind of laugh that was short-lived nor sarcastic. It was a happy, I don't care about what the others think kind of laugh. People nearby were surprised to see the Jughead Jones laughing. It was a rare sight after all.

He walked toward Betty and sat next to her. He had a calm and contented look on his face. He closed his eyes and angled upward, toward the moon and said nothing. Betty was confused but did the same. It was like they were bathing in the moonlight.

A few minutes have passed, no one decided to break the peace between the two. That is until someone made an embarrassing sound, a cue that things were getting too heated for the both.

Betty snapped her eyes open and could feel her cheeks burning. She glanced at Jughead who looked embarrassed as well. "Wanna go somewhere else?" He offered.

She nodded and they both walking fast inside as if a wolf was just behind, ready to attack them.

The after party was in full swing. People were making out, some were already passed out drunk. They went upstairs as the first floor was already crowded and they came across Archie and the others. It seemed like they were playing a game. Archie spotted him and called out. He looked at Betty for approval but she just shrugged her shoulders. They both found a seat in the circle.

"Game on bitches. The rules are simple. We spin the bottle and whoever it points at will choose between two dares." Cheryl had her hands on her hips, her face was full of mischief.

"What if we don't want either of the dares?" Archie piped in.

"Well Archiekins, you just have to take a shot of my daddy's strongest and deadliest tequila." Her voice so sweet but reeked of venom. "I have to warn you though. One shot is enough to kill. Just ask Reggie." The grouped turned to Reggie Mantle who looked like he remember some awful night of drinking.

"So, last chance for those who want to back out." If you didn't know Cheryl, you would think that she's considerate of those who didn't want to play anymore. But Betty, having known Cheryl for most of her life, knew it was a bait for those who were "chickens".

Veronica rolled her eyes and inched closer to Betty. "She's such a typical mean girl."

Betty was surprised that Veronica Lodge was talking to her. They were from two different cliques and from all the years Veronica had been at Riverdale, Betty could count with her two hands how many times they both had talked to one another.

"Yeah, typical." She said, unsure if Veronica was luring her into saying Cheryl was a bitch or what.

"Hey loosen up girl. You don't have to be on all defense when you're with me. You're with Jughead so we're cool." She smiled at her.

Betty smiled back and nodded. She wondered if that's how she was identified now. She was _with Jughead_. She glanced at the people in the group and couldn't help but notice the glare she was getting from a certain brunette. Next to her was Cheryl who was prepping for the first spin. She saw how Ginger Lopez whispered to Cheryl and her eyes were soon on Betty. That wasn't a good sign.

"You okay?" She looked to her left and saw a worried look on Jughead's face. He must've known that she wasn't used to these kinds of things. Being a straight A, goody two shoes kind of girl, she was never out too late partying with kids her age.

"Yeah. This is just foreign to me." She whispered back.

"Tell you what, when you feel like separating from the group, let me know. We'll go right away." She was surprised when he put his hand over hers and squeezed it. She nodded in agreement and turned her attention to the dreaded game.

Oh if only Kevin was there to witness it. Who would've thought right? Elizabeth Cooper playing spin the bottle at Cheryl's with all the cool kids.

"First up, Jughead Jones." Jughead shot a glance at Betty and smiled as if to reassure her that it was going to be fine.

"Okay lover boy, here's the dare. You either, hmm, kiss my lovely friend Ginger Lopez – on the lips. Or you let Ginger have her way with you for 7 minutes in that closet." Cheryl smiled cruelly.

He knew this was happening. He knew at some point Cheryl would get even for Ginger despite him not actually doing anything to the girl. Not doing anything was probably similar to doing something bad in girl language.

"I'll take a drink." He felt deep ocean blue eyes turn to him. "It's okay. I can hold my liquor."

"What? You'd rather drink than kiss Ginger? What are you gay or something?" Cheryl said, her arms crossed on her chest.

Betty felt Jughead's hand tightening as it was still on top of her hand. She felt the need to calm him down so she covered his hand with hers. His strong gaze was broken when it met with hers.

"Pour it." He commanded to Reggie who was opening the bottle of tequila.

"You sure man?" He confirmed.

"Hell yeah I'm sure." He said.

Reggie poured the liquid to a shot glass before handing it over to Jughead. In one gulp, he drank the glass' contents, feeling the liquid burn his throat and chest. He had to give it to Cheryl, she wasn't joking when she said the thing was deadly.

Jughead could feel his skin heat up as effects of the drink. He was still focused but his body was reacting to the tequila he just drank. He was surprised when a hand made contact with his arm. His head snapped to his right and saw the worried look on Betty Cooper's face.

"I'm good." He said. His head was ringing a bit but he knew he was far from losing it. Probably another shot would do it. He had to be careful.

"I thought the trick was to pretend to drink it and throw it somewhere else?" Betty teased.

"Well I would've done than but I would feel bad if I threw the liquid in your purse. It seemed new." He joked. This earned him a smile and a slap on the arm.

"Carry on children." Cheryl looked pissed. She made the bottle spin once more and this time, it stopped on Betty Cooper. Just their luck.

"Awesome. Now, I dare you to either make out with Reggie for a minute or french kiss Jughead Jones."

"What?! Cheryl!" Ginger looked offended at the betrayal of her friend.

"What? Get over it Ginger. It was obvious that he's not into you when he'd rather drink tequila. You'll find someone else." She snapped.

Betty stared at the people around them. They looked expectantly at her decision. She could choose the tequila but then again, she wasn't sure if she could hold her liquor like Jughead. Kissing Reggie Mantle was definitely a no since he had a reputation with girls. She didn't want to catch anything from him. The last option was with…

She glanced at Jughead who looked both annoyed and nervous. He glared at Cheryl but his ears were turning red from the pressure. She wasn't sure if Jughead was okay with her kissing him. What if he hated it? What if she was bad at kissing? What if her growing crush was just one-sided? The thoughts that ran through Betty's mind was endless.

"So what will it be Elizabeth?" Cheryl asked impatiently.

Betty breathed heavily and tried to calm her thumping heart. She turned to Jughead who was still not done with the glaring. She tugged at his hand and he turned, surprised at her silent decision.

"I'm sorry." She whispered before pulling him by the hand and setting her lips against his.

"The dare was French Kiss Betty. Do it or you're doing the other dare as well." Cheryl reminded but her voice was drowned out by the way his lips touched hers.

It felt magical. His lips were soft and gentle. She moved hers and gave an opening to him but he was careful not to overstep. She poured herself into the kiss and she felt his hands hold her face gently – as if she was made of glass that could easily break any moment. Their kiss deepened and she knew it was getting harder and harder to pull away.

Jughead Jones was one heck of a kisser.

A minute has passed. Two. Probably three. But the kiss was still in place. She could feel the scarcity of air in her lungs but she was still focused on kissing the guy in front of her. Her mind is telling her to pull away but her body seems magnetized to his.

"I said you've cleared it already. Jeez. If you wanna make out do it somewhere else!" If it was possible to sound more annoyed, Cheryl has successfully done it.

The two separated and felt their hearts beating at a fast pace. Jughead's face was a bit flushed. Betty's on the other hand would rival a tomato's redness.

The game continued when Cheryl spun the bottle once more. The two became oblivious of their surroundings – both equally distracted by what had happened a few minutes before. Betty no longer cared about playing the game and Jughead felt they needed to be alone.

"Let's go to the balcony." He whispered to her to which she nodded to.

They excused themselves from the group, earning a protest from the others but it was a good thing the game master Cheryl was busy with her 7 minute closet dare with some jock.

Once they have settled in the balcony, Jughead stared at the blonde beauty sitting next to him.

"Crazy night huh?" He said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, you could say that again." She smiled.

If Jughead was asked what was the feature he liked about Betty Cooper the most, he would say it was her smile. She looked beautiful. Despite wearing bold red lipstick, her smile softened her features and showed her true nature of being the friendly girl next door.

"Sorry about what happened earlier." Betty muttered. Jughead was confused. Did she regret the kiss? Did he assume too much? It was driving him crazy. Upon seeing his disappointed face, Betty felt nervous.

"I mean, I know you could've gotten someone better to kiss. I should've just drank the tequila if I didn't have such low tolerance." She blabbered.

"I don't regret it, if that's what you're implying." He said, catching her off guard. "It was actually really nice."

She couldn't help but feel the blush creeping on her face once more. She couldn't even hide the smile that was taking over her lips. Her heart felt elated. For some odd reasons, she was feeling so much emotions for a guy she just had a chance to have a conversation with tonight. This wasn't the usual Betty Cooper. She wasn't the type who falls easily. There was definitely something about Jughead Jones that she keeps on getting magnetized to.

"That's one way to inflate one's ego." She said smiling.

"I'm sure the other guys you've kissed would agree that you're one heck of a kisser. And I'm not just kissing ass or anything."

"The first one." She murmured.

"I'm sorry, what?" He had a confused look on his face.

"You're the first boy I've ever kissed." She admitted.

Betty was surprised to see Jughead Jones at a loss for words and flushing like crazy. She was a bit proud that she could illicit in him the feelings that he brought out in her.

"I hope it was a good one. I'd feel bad if the memory of your first kiss wasn't okay." He said sincerely.

Betty smiled at his thoughtfulness. Who would've thought that there was a sweet and caring side to the dark and mysterious Jughead Jones?

There was a moment of silence between them as they stared at the serene sky. Betty couldn't remove the smile off of her face as she recalled the events of tonight. Breaking the rules tonight had been worthwhile after all.

"You have a nice smile." He blurted out causing her to blush even more. Betty could swear that all other parts of her body have lost its blood and transferred to her face.

"Thanks. Uhh… your voice is nice." This brought out a laugh from him.

"I don't get that a lot but hey thanks for noticing." He teased.

Music blared from the inside of the house and he couldn't help but notice that it was the same song they danced to earlier. He held out his hand to her and smiled. "Encore?"

 _Dancing in the moonlight  
Everybody's feeling warm and bright  
_

Betty smiled as well and took his offer. "Now this really is dancing in the moonlight huh?"

"Yeah, you could say that." He said.

 _It's such a fine and natural sight  
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight_

"I never thought you'd be like this Jughead Jones." She said. He had a confused look on his face "I mean, you're usually so quiet and reserved. Who knew you'd have a different side hidden as well?"

"We all have two sides Betty Cooper. One is reserved for strangers and acquaintances. The other is reserved for those who are special and who matter." He said.

"So, which side are you showing me now?" She held her breath. It was a risky question to ask but she shot it anyway. It's better to be put down now if he didn't really like her. It would lessen the feeling of rejection if this thing with them wasn't prolonged.

"I thought I made it obvious in our kiss." He smiled.

The night was ending. Both had no idea what the next day would bring. Will the magic of tonight be carried over the next day? Or will their budding romance just be a one night fling? The questions that ran in their minds were parallel to each other but neither knew what the other was feeling. It was all assumptions for the two.

It was Jughead who chose to break the ice. He had stepped forward. Made the first move. "I was wondering, do you have anything planned out tomorrow?"

"None in particular. Why?" She bit her lip in anticipation. She was nervous. She had hoped for a part two of their rendezvous.

"Well, I was planning on going to Pop's to grab a burger and I was wondering if you'd like to hear my nice voice again." He wiggled his eyebrows causing her to laugh. "And I want to see that smile again too. Think you could indulge me for another day? Hopefully more?"

She paused and smiled. There was no turning back now. Whatever they both had started, she felt that the road ahead won't be easy. Looking at Jughead's hopeful face, she knew that she wasn't going to be alone in this. "Sure. As long as you treat me to milkshake and fries."

"You've got yourself a deal, Betty Cooper."

Both looked like idiots smiling at each other but none of them cared. For Jughead and Betty, they knew that tonight was just the start of something different, something beautiful.


End file.
